Final salute for Girls’ Brigade captain

Karen Keith

Elizabeth Speirs has retired as captain of the 1st Rothesay Girls’ Brigade after 35 years with the company.

Past and current officers and leaders of the company, Rev Drew Barrie, and friends gathered to mark the occasion with a special supper on Friday night in Trinity Church’s Castle Street Hall.

In 2014 Elizabeth was included in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in recognition of more than 50 years of voluntary service on Bute to numerous community groups and organisations including the Girls’ Brigade and Boys’ Brigade, the Red Cross, Trinity Church, and the Erskine charity for former service personnel.

The first meeting of what would become the 1st Rothesay Girls’ Brigade was held on November 6, 1981, and the company was officially registered on April 5 the following year.